# List of NFL retired numbers

Teams in the National Football League (NFL) retire jersey numbers of players who either are considered by the team to have made significant contributions to that team's success, or who have experienced untimely deaths during their playing career. As with other leagues, once a team retires a player's jersey number, it never issues the number to any other player, unless the player or team explicitly allows it.

## History

Since NFL teams began retiring numbers, 163 players have had their jersey number retired. The Chicago Bears and the New York Giants have the most retired numbers of the teams with 14 each.
Reggie White is the only player whose number was retired by two teams (the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles). While Peyton Manning's number is only officially retired by the Indianapolis Colts, he received an acknowledgment when the Denver Broncos re-retired the number 18, which is officially retired under the name of Frank Tripucka (Tripucka granted Manning permission to wear the number). The Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, and Las Vegas Raiders traditionally do not retire jersey numbers. The New Orleans Saints previously retired numbers, having done so for Jim Taylor and Doug Atkins, but under new ownership those numbers were unretired. Also without a retired jersey number are the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans, though these teams are less than 30 years old: in this regard, the Texans do not retire numbers but honor player jerseys instead.
The Buffalo Bills under previous owner Ralph Wilson also did not retire jersey numbers, with the exception of Jim Kelly. This policy was reversed under Wilson's successor Terry Pegula.
Unlike Major League Baseball (which retired Jackie Robinson's number 42), the National Hockey League (which retired Wayne Gretzky's 99), and the National Basketball Association (which retired Bill Russell's 6), the NFL has never retired a jersey number league-wide in honor of anyone.
The number 00 is no longer allowed, but was not retired in honor of any particular player; rather, the NFL's positional numbering system, instituted in 1973, does not allocate a position for players wearing that number. The NFL allowed 00 in the past, with Steve Bagarus, Jim Otto, and Ken Burrough being the only three players to have ever worn it. The number can be, and rarely is, used in the preseason when no other numbers for a player's position are available.

## Retired numbers

* Pro Football Hall of Fame member
| Player | No. | Team | Tenure | Year retired |
| Larry Wilson | 8 | Arizona Cardinals | 1960–1972 | 1970 |
| Pat Tillman | 40 | Arizona Cardinals | 1998–2001 | 2004 |
| Stan Mauldin | 77 | Arizona Cardinals | 1946–1948 | 1948 |
| J. V. Cain | 88 | Arizona Cardinals | 1974–1978 | 1979 |
| Marshall Goldberg | 99 | Arizona Cardinals | 1939–1943, 1946–1948 | 1948 |
| Jim Kelly | 12 | Buffalo Bills | 1986–1996 | 2001 |
| Thurman Thomas | 34 | Buffalo Bills | 1988–1999 | 2018 |
| Bruce Smith | 78 | Buffalo Bills | 1985–1999 | 2016 |
| Sam Mills | 51 | Carolina Panthers | 1995–1997 | 2005 |
| Bronko Nagurski | 3 | Chicago Bears | 1930–1937, 1943 | |
| George McAfee | 5 | Chicago Bears | 1940–1941, 1945–1950 | 1955 |
| George Halas | 7 | Chicago Bears | 1920–1928 | |
| Willie Galimore | 28 | Chicago Bears | 1957–1963 | |
| Walter Payton | 34 | Chicago Bears | 1975–1987 | |
| Gale Sayers | 40 | Chicago Bears | 1965–1971 | 1994 |
| Brian Piccolo | 41 | Chicago Bears | 1965–1969 | |
| Sid Luckman | 42 | Chicago Bears | 1939–1950 | |
| Dick Butkus | 51 | Chicago Bears | 1965–1973 | 1994 |
| Bill Hewitt | 56 | Chicago Bears | 1932–1936 | |
| Bill George | 61 | Chicago Bears | 1952–1965 | |
| Bulldog Turner | 66 | Chicago Bears | 1940–1952 | |
| Red Grange | 77 | Chicago Bears | 1925–1934 | |
| Mike Ditka | 89 | Chicago Bears | 1961–1966 | 2013 |
| Bob Johnson | 54 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1968–1979 | 1978 |
| Otto Graham | 14 | Cleveland Browns | 1946–1955 | |
| Jim Brown | 32 | Cleveland Browns | 1957–1965 | |
| Ernie Davis | 45 | Cleveland Browns | 1962 | 1963 |
| Don Fleming | 46 | Cleveland Browns | 1960–1962 | |
| Lou Groza | 76 | Cleveland Browns | 1946–1959, 1961–1967 | 1968 |
| John Elway | 7 | Denver Broncos | 1983–1998 | 1999 |
| Frank Tripucka | 18 | Denver Broncos | 1960–1963 | 1963 |
| Floyd Little | 44 | Denver Broncos | 1967–1975 | 1984 |
| Dutch Clark | 7 | Detroit Lions | 1931–1932, 1934–1938 | 1939 |
| Lem Barney | 20 | Detroit Lions | 1967–1977 | 2004 |
| Barry Sanders | 20 | Detroit Lions | 1989–1998 | 2004 |
| Billy Sims | 20 | Detroit Lions | 1980–1984 | 2004 |
| Bobby Layne | 22 | Detroit Lions | 1950–1958 | |
| Doak Walker | 37 | Detroit Lions | 1950–1955 | 1955 |
| Joe Schmidt | 56 | Detroit Lions | 1953–1965 | |
| Chuck Hughes | 85 | Detroit Lions | 1970–1971 | |
| Tony Canadeo | 3 | Green Bay Packers | 1941–1952 | 1952 |
| Brett Favre | 4 | Green Bay Packers | 1992–2007 | 2015 |
| Don Hutson | 14 | Green Bay Packers | 1935–1945 | 1951 |
| Bart Starr | 15 | Green Bay Packers | 1956–1971 | 1973 |
| Ray Nitschke | 66 | Green Bay Packers | 1958–1972 | 1983 |
| Reggie White | 92 | Green Bay Packers | 1993–1998 | 1999 |
| Peyton Manning | 18 | Indianapolis Colts | 1998–2011 | 2017 |
| Johnny Unitas | 19 | Indianapolis Colts | 1956–1972 | |
| Buddy Young | 22 | Indianapolis Colts | 1953–1955 | |
| Lenny Moore | 24 | Indianapolis Colts | 1956–1967 | 1968 |
| Art Donovan | 70 | Indianapolis Colts | 1953–1961 | 1962 |
| Jim Parker | 77 | Indianapolis Colts | 1957–1967 | |
| Raymond Berry | 82 | Indianapolis Colts | 1955–1967 | |
| Gino Marchetti | 89 | Indianapolis Colts | 1953–1966 | |
| Tony Boselli | 71 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1995–2001 | 2022 |
| Jan Stenerud | 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1967–1979 | 1992 |
| Len Dawson | 16 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1962–1975 | |
| Emmitt Thomas | 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1966–1978 | 2008 |
| Abner Haynes | 28 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1960–1964 | |
| Stone Johnson | 33 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1963 | 1963 |
| Mack Lee Hill | 36 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1964–1965 | |
| Derrick Thomas | 58 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1989–1999 | 2009 |
| Willie Lanier | 63 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1967–1977 | 1992 |
| Bobby Bell | 78 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1963–1974 | 1984 |
| Buck Buchanan | 86 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1963–1975 | 1992 |
| Dan Fouts | 14 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1973–1987 | 1988 |
| Charlie Joiner | 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1976–1986 | 2023 |
| Lance Alworth | 19 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1962–1970 | 2005 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | 2001–2009 | 2015 |
| Junior Seau | 55 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1990–2002 | 2012 |
| Kellen Winslow | 80 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1979–1987 | 2023 |
| Bob Waterfield | 7 | Los Angeles Rams | 1945–1952 | 1952 |
| Marshall Faulk | 28 | Los Angeles Rams | 1999–2006 | 2007 |
| Eric Dickerson | 29 | Los Angeles Rams | 1983–1987 | |
| Merlin Olsen | 74 | Los Angeles Rams | 1962–1976 | |
| Deacon Jones | 75 | Los Angeles Rams | 1961–1971 | 2009 |
| Jackie Slater | 78 | Los Angeles Rams | 1976–1995 | 1996 |
| Isaac Bruce | 80 | Los Angeles Rams | 1994–2007 | 2010 |
| Jack Youngblood | 85 | Los Angeles Rams | 1971–1984 | |
| Bob Griese | 12 | Miami Dolphins | 1967–1980 | 1985 |
| Dan Marino | 13 | Miami Dolphins | 1983–1999 | 2000 |
| Larry Csonka | 39 | Miami Dolphins | 1968–1974, 1979 | 2002 |
| Fran Tarkenton | 10 | Minnesota Vikings | 1961–1966, 1972–1978 | 1979 |
| Mick Tingelhoff | 53 | Minnesota Vikings | 1962–1978 | 2001 |
| Jim Marshall | 70 | Minnesota Vikings | 1961–1979 | 1999 |
| Korey Stringer | 77 | Minnesota Vikings | 1995–2000 | 2001 |
| Cris Carter | 80 | Minnesota Vikings | 1990–2001 | 2003 |
| Alan Page | 88 | Minnesota Vikings | 1967–1978 | 1988 |
| Tom Brady | 12 | New England Patriots | 2000–2019 | 2024 |
| Gino Cappelletti | 20 | New England Patriots | 1960–1970 | |
| Mike Haynes | 40 | New England Patriots | 1976–1982 | |
| Steve Nelson | 57 | New England Patriots | 1974–1987 | 1988 |
| John Hannah | 73 | New England Patriots | 1973–1985 | |
| Bruce Armstrong | 78 | New England Patriots | 1987–2000 | 2000 |
| Jim Lee Hunt | 79 | New England Patriots | 1960–1970 | |
| Bob Dee | 89 | New England Patriots | 1960–1967 | |
| Ray Flaherty | 1 | New York Giants | 1928–1935 | 1935 |
| Tuffy Leemans | 4 | New York Giants | 1936–1943 | 1940 |
| Mel Hein | 7 | New York Giants | 1931–1945 | 1963 |
| Eli Manning | 10 | New York Giants | 2004–2019 | 2021 |
| Phil Simms | 11 | New York Giants | 1979–1993 | 1995 |
| Ward Cuff | 14 | New York Giants | 1937–1945 | 1946 |
| Y. A. Tittle | 14 | New York Giants | 1961–1964 | 1965 |
| Frank Gifford | 16 | New York Giants | 1952–1964 | 2000 |
| Al Blozis | 32 | New York Giants | 1942–1944 | 1945 |
| Joe Morrison | 40 | New York Giants | 1959–1972 | 1973 |
| Charlie Conerly | 42 | New York Giants | 1948–1961 | 1962 |
| Ken Strong | 50 | New York Giants | 1936–1947 | 1968 |
| Lawrence Taylor | 56 | New York Giants | 1981–1993 | 1994 |
| Michael Strahan | 92 | New York Giants | 1993–2007 | 2021 |
| Joe Namath | 12 | New York Jets | 1965–1976 | 1985 |
| Don Maynard | 13 | New York Jets | 1963–1972 | |
| Curtis Martin | 28 | New York Jets | 1998–2005 | 2012 |
| Joe Klecko | 73 | New York Jets | 1977–1987 | 2004 |
| Dennis Byrd | 90 | New York Jets | 1989–1992 | 2012 |
| Weeb Ewbank | Jacket | New York Jets | 1963–1973 | |
| Donovan McNabb | 5 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1999–2009 | 2013 |
| Steve Van Buren | 15 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1944–1951 | 1951 |
| Brian Dawkins | 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1996–2008 | 2012 |
| Tom Brookshier | 40 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1953–1961 | 1962 |
| Pete Retzlaff | 44 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1956–1966 | 1965 |
| Chuck Bednarik | 60 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1949–1962 | |
| Al Wistert | 70 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1944–1951 | 1952 |
| Reggie White | 92 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1985–1992 | 2005 |
| Jerome Brown | 99 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1987–1991 | 1992 |
| Franco Harris | 32 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1972–1983 | 2022 |
| Ernie Stautner | 70 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1950–1963 | 1964 |
| Joe Greene | 75 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1969–1981 | 2014 |
| Steve Young | 8 | San Francisco 49ers | 1987–1999 | 2008 |
| John Brodie | 12 | San Francisco 49ers | 1957–1973 | 1973 |
| Joe Montana | 16 | San Francisco 49ers | 1979–1992 | 1997 |
| Joe Perry | 34 | San Francisco 49ers | 1948–1960 | 1971 |
| Jimmy Johnson | 37 | San Francisco 49ers | 1961–1976 | 1977 |
| Hugh McElhenny | 39 | San Francisco 49ers | 1952–1960 | 1971 |
| Ronnie Lott | 42 | San Francisco 49ers | 1981–1990 | 2003 |
| Charlie Krueger | 70 | San Francisco 49ers | 1959–1973 | 1974 |
| Leo Nomellini | 73 | San Francisco 49ers | 1950–1963 | 1971 |
| Bob St. Clair | 79 | San Francisco 49ers | 1953–1963 | 2001 |
| Jerry Rice | 80 | San Francisco 49ers | 1985–2000 | 2010 |
| Dwight Clark | 87 | San Francisco 49ers | 1979–1987 | 1988 |
| Kenny Easley | 45 | Seattle Seahawks | 1981–1987 | 2017 |
| Walter Jones | 71 | Seattle Seahawks | 1997–2009 | 2010 |
| Steve Largent | 80 | Seattle Seahawks | 1976–1989 | 1992 |
| Cortez Kennedy | 96 | Seattle Seahawks | 1990–2000 | 2012 |
| FAN (12s) | 12 | Seattle Seahawks | 1976-present | 1984 |
| Derrick Brooks | 55 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1995–2008 | 2014 |
| Lee Roy Selmon | 63 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1976–1984 | 1986 |
| Warren Sapp | 99 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1995–2003 | 2013 |
| Warren Moon | 1 | Tennessee Titans | 1984–1993 | 2006 |
| Steve McNair | 9 | Tennessee Titans | 1995–2005 | 2019 |
| Eddie George | 27 | Tennessee Titans | 1996–2003 | 2019 |
| Earl Campbell | 34 | Tennessee Titans | 1978–1984 | 1987 |
| Jim Norton | 43 | Tennessee Titans | 1960–1968 | |
| Mike Munchak | 63 | Tennessee Titans | 1982–1993 | 1996 |
| Elvin Bethea | 65 | Tennessee Titans | 1968–1983 | 1983 |
| Bruce Matthews | 74 | Tennessee Titans | 1983–2001 | 2002 |
| Sonny Jurgensen | 9 | Washington Commanders | 1964–1974 | 2022 |
| Sean Taylor | 21 | Washington Commanders | 2004–2007 | 2021 |
| Darrell Green | 28 | Washington Commanders | 1983–2002 | 2024 |
| Sammy Baugh | 33 | Washington Commanders | 1937–1952 | 1953 |
| Bobby Mitchell | 49 | Washington Commanders | 1962–1968 | 2020 |